


Damian, not Ibn

by blue_flowers



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Not Beta Read, Not raised by Talia!Damian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24870043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_flowers/pseuds/blue_flowers
Summary: Ibn is 4 when he learns he is adopted.He is 12 when he meets Officer Grayson.
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Comments: 27
Kudos: 192





	1. Prologue

By four, Ibn knows he is adopted. His Mama and Daddy are white with names like James and Dina; Ibn has brown skin and an Arabic name. Mama had told him it's the name his first mama had given him. They were told they could change it but they wanted Ibn to have that part of himself, so they said no.

When Ibn is five he makes his first friend. It's the first day of school and Mama just left, leaving him with alone strangers for the first time in his life. He won't cry though, because Daddy said big boys are brave and Ibn wants to be brave. But Ibn sees a boy sitting by the door where all their parents dropped them off, and he is crying into his knees. He goes up to the boy and doesn't ask why he is crying, because Ibn knows why this boy is crying. Instead, Ibn asks if he wants to look at the picture books with him. The boy looks at Ibn, tears still rolling down his face, and nods.

Ibn is seven when he comes home bawling, begging his parents to change his name because he overheard the teachers talking about how he has a terrorist name. His parents are furious, his Mama wants to march up to the school and yell at them and Dad is talking about sueing the school. They both say he won't be going back to that school. Ibn is still crying, still begging. His parents spend a week trying to dissuade him before giving in. Mama brings home a book of names and goes through it with him until he finds a name they all like.

Damian is eight when his Dad is offered a promotion. His Mama is proud, but also worried, because if Dad takes it then they will have to move somewhere called Gotham, and Mama says it isn't safe there. Dad laughs, kisses Mama and swings Damian around, saying it'll be fine, they're going to live in the nice part of Gotham. 

Damian is eight when he learns that there is no nice part of Gotham. He learns this when he and his Mama go to the park and are chased out by plants. He learns this when he goes to the bank with his Dad and the Penguin robs it, destroying a wall he and his Dad were huddled against. He learns this when his entire school is taken hostage by the Riddler and forced to solve puzzles until Batman saves them. Damian learns and listens and tries to be brave, even when Mama and Dad scream at each other, fighting over if they should move or not. Damian tries very hard to be brave. 

Damian is ten when his world crashes down around him. It starts with his Mama not picking him up from school. But that isn't unusual today, Poison Ivy's plants had somehow grown all over Gotham and a lot of kids parents were late to pick them up. Slowly, parents and siblings trickled in and collected their kids, but as it gets later and later, and all the other kids go home, Damian is left alone. All the teachers had gone home, and the school is locked, so as it gets dark Damian picks up his bag and starts walking home. When Damian gets home, all the lights are off and the door is locked. He peeks into the garage and sees that the car is gone, so he sits on their front step and waits. And waits. Damian sits there all night, too scared and worried to sleep, and is approached by Mrs. Bryan, who Mama says is too nosy for her own good, once the neighbors start heading to work. Damian tries to be brave when telling Mrs. Bryan his parents never came home, but her face does something weird and when she hugs him, Damian cries.

Damian is still ten when he runs away from his third abusive foster home and decides not to go back. He hides in a library for a week before he runs from cops wanting to take him back. Eventually he ends up in Crime Alley, as all homeless kids do. He tries to keep to himself, but he learns quickly that kids do better when they stick together. When asked for his name, he tells them Ibn, keeping the name he chose with his parents a secret he keeps close to his heart.

When Damian is twelve, he meets Officer Grayson.


	2. Chapter 1: Damian

Damian, Lucy, and Snark are waiting in the alley. Old Tom, who is the oldest street kid at seventeen, the others usually joined gangs by fifteen, swears up and down that the new closer never sets the alarm, and that if you don’t take too much or too often, you can get away with stealing a meal every now and then.

“How d’we even know it’s this guy clown’ t’night?” Snark whispered, “They got more’n one closer.” 

Lucy shoved him, not that it did any good, Snark was big for ten, and Lucy was small for eight. “Tom said this guy always closes on Tuesdays, didn’t he Ibn?” Damian rolled his eyes when Lucy turned sharply to him, her dark eyes on fire at the thought that someone thought Tom to be wrong. 

“Shut up Lucy, if this guy hears us because you hero worship that loser-”

“He isn’t!”

Damian jumped at Lucy’s shrill cry. Her face was going red and her breaths were coming in fast in a way that Damian knew she was about to start crying. Damian yanked her up front with him and started to whisper furiously, “Lucy, if you can’t keep your voice down then we are gonna send you back to Tom hungry, I don’t care if Snark is mean, Snark is mean to everyone, but if you-” his mouth closed with a snap as the employee door opened. Out stepped, at Damian’s guess, a twenty something guy with earbuds in. Damian almost scoffed before realizing in the quiet alley he should’ve heard something coming from them. Looking at the guy’s face, he watched as his eyes twitched like he was going to look around before suddenly remembering to keep looking straight.

Damian’s insides went cold. “Snark, get Lucy out of here. Tom set us up.” Barely sparing a glance back, Damian ran at the employee, pushing him to the side as the door banged open and a cop burst out, chasing Damian as he pounded down the street. He ducked through alleys, into the lobbies of apartments and out through backdoors, but it was proving impossible to shake this cop. Glancing behind him, he saw the cop was closer than he had previously thought. Swearing, he sprinted to an alley he knew had a low hanging ladder. Running past the ladder he ducked behind some boxes and hoped the cop took the bait. 

Damian hears the cop pause at the entrance of the alley and then slowly enter. “Hey kid, it’s alright. Sorry to scare you, I was hoping to catch Tom, not you.” Damian almost snorts, wedging himself further behind the boxes. “Do you know where Tom is? I’ll buy you a meal if you tell me.” Damian does snort at that.

“I’m not a snitch.” He calls out. “You want a snitch, go find Joel, he’s crazy enough to snitch for you.” The cop walks over to where Damian is wedged and crouches down to almost eye-level with him. Now that Damian can see him, he sees that he as light brown skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. 

“Hey, I’m Officer Grayson. Can I buy you a burger anyways? As an apology for scaring you and those kids back there? I really am just looking for Tom.”

\------

Damian stares as he bites into his cheeseburger. Officer Grayson is humming happily as he eats his fries, leaned back casually as his eyes scan the Batburger. “So…” Grayson sat up as he spoke, “What’s your name kid?”

Glaring down at his burger, Damian kicked his heels against his chair legs. He didn’t trust this cop anymore than he trusted any cop. All cops ever wanted to do was throw him back in foster care and say they were helping. None of them cared if the homes were nice, or if Damian was safe there, they just didn’t like homeless kids. Didn’t matter that this cop was feeding him, lots of people wanted to feed kids before turning around and calling them thieving bastards. 

Fingers started snapping in his face, “Hey kid, it looked like I lost you there. You okay?” Damian shoved Grayson’s hand away.

“I’m fine, I just don’t like giving my name to cops.”

“Hey, I understand, most cops aren’t very nice to you, huh?” Damian glared at him, almost no cop in Gotham was nice. He’d met a few that were either new or just moved in from another city, they either quit or turned corrupt within a few months. Grayson must be new to the force. Grayson’s eyebrows raised with surprise when Damian asked. “I’ve been a cop for five years now.”

Damian furrowed his brow. It was true he didn’t look young in the way other new cops did, his attitude wasn’t like others with years on the job. Maybe Damian had found an actual good cop in Gotham? “Ibn.” he said, mouth pinched. “I’m Ibn.”

\----

Damian slipped away while Grayson was getting a refill. He knew where the next bit would lead if he didn’t. He tried not to feel bad as he made his way back to his hole, Grayson honestly seemed like he wanted to help. But good intentions wouldn’t help Damian when he was fending off another abusive family.

He was only a few blocks away from home when Tom grabbed him. “What’d you tell him?” Damian was crowded against the wall as Tom got in his face.

“I didn’t tell him anything!” Damian shoved against Tom’s chest, only managing to move him a few inches. “I’m not a fucking snitch Tom.” Damian might not have talked, but Grayson had warned him that Tom was suspected of recruiting street kids into a new gang, one that the police thought Tom had probably started himself, and then trafficking them to whoever was willing to buy. “Stay the fuck away from Lucy Tom, I know what you’re doing and you’re not gettin’ her.” Damian knew he was being stupid confronting Tom like this. Knew he should just keep quiet and move Lucy and Snark to a new hole and keep away from Tom then, but he was so angry his mouth ran before he could stop it.

Damian ducked as Tom swung his fist. It crashed into the wall where Damian’s head had been and he ran as Tom howled. Reaching his hole in the wall, he saw Snark already packed up, their three ratty blankets being held by Lucy while Snark tore down the cardboard covering the entrance. Damian raced in, pushed Snark ahead of him and grabbed Lucy by the arm and began pulling her behind him. Together they ran, taking corners at random until they were sufficiently far enough away that he felt Tom wouldn’t be able to find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to write Damian giving his name to Dick was light pulling teeth, but him getting into a fight with Tom? Yeah, Damian has issues lol.


	3. Chapter 2: Dick

Dick wasn’t surprised when he got back to the table to find Ibn gone. He was worried, but not surprised. Ibn was an older street kid, and they always hated going back into the system, and Dick couldn’t blame them. The system was hell, and try as he might, and he was trying, it was slow to change. 

Heading back to the station, he made his report and then headed home to change for his night job. Ibn might not want to accept his help, but he would at least make the streets a bit safer for him by getting Tom off of them. 

He found him at Leslie’s clinic with a broken hand. Dick had to hold back his laughter as he slipped into the medical room. 

“You finally pick on someone bigger than you Tom? Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Nope, out. You can undo my work once he leaves, but not while he is here.” Leslie snapped, pointing at the window he had slipped in through. 

“He traffics kids.”

“Then he won’t be getting pain killers. Now out.”

So Dick found himself perched on the building across the street. He had been waiting for ten minutes when Tim swung onto the roof behind him. 

“B wants to know why your comm is off. “ Sitting next to him, Tim took in the clinic. “Who are you waiting on?”

“Child trafficker. And I forgot.” Reaching up to his ear, he turned on his comm.

“Nightwing, report.”

Dick rolled his eyes, Bruce wasn’t subtle at all, he had probably been standing dramatically on a building, waiting for the  _ click _ of Dick’s comm connecting. “I’m outside Dr. Tomkin’s clinic, waiting on a perp to exit. Leslie made it clear I wasn’t allowed inside.” He felt Tim suppress a laugh, and even detected a note of amusement in Bruce’s response. 

“Make sure you won’t need her services yourself. Robin, meet me near Oracle’s nest.” With that, Tim was off with a wave goodbye. 

\-----

Tom was in police custody within two hours and Dick found himself combing Crime Alley for Ibn. The only reason he could give himself was that he wanted to assure the boy that Tom wouldn’t be around, but even he could admit that wasn’t the full truth. The boy was smart, any other cop that had followed him into that alley would have gone for the ladder and he had taken the lead with the other two children. He’d heard them squabbling, and at the time had thought Tom had brought some of his “stock” to help him, and his blood had been boiling when he ran out of the restaurant. He hadn’t even realized he wasn’t chasing Tom until a few streets later, at that point he figured he had fallen for a decoy. Learning that Tom had set this boy up for the fall had seriously pissed him off. 

Spotting something curious, Dick swung down to an alley. A half piece of cardboard was hanging of a wall, presumably it had covered the small gap in the wall that lead into a small abandoned utility room. It had obviously been cleared out in a hurry, and the hole was too small enough to fit most adults. Groaning, Dick took off, leaving Crime Alley to search elsewhere. Ibn had fled, and could be anywhere in Gotham. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, I actually had this chapter and the next chapter already written, but work has sapped all my energy so getting it typed up was like hauling logs. I don't have the energy to type up the next chapter, it's 10:30 pm here, but it is finished and I've already started the next chapter after that, it's just not entirely done yet.


	4. Chapter 3: Damian

They laid low for a couple weeks, settling into their new area. No one, not even the other homeless, looked twice at three street kids. Damian didn't get any hint of Tom, though he had to have been searching for them, for him at the very least. It made him nervous, and he got crabby anytime Snark or Lucy went out of sight, and that brought out the worst of Snark's rudeness. By the end of two weeks Damian was ready to push Snark down a hole, and Lucy and her pouting and sniffling with him. 

Eventually Damian got fed up with both of them. He shoved them out of the abandoned building they had set up in, telling Lucy to go beg from mothers and other softies, and telling Snark to buzz off. Damian went to see about a job.

He'd heard along the street about a few people looking for kids to do lookout. Most were just small groups making a trade off, and he'd told Snark about those, but kept quiet about one job he knew a local gang was offering. They'd been gaining members quickly, and he was worried about police presence, but the money they were offering made it worth the risk. 

After talking to a few people he had a time and place, and half his payment in hand. Three hours later he was leaned against a wall and scanning the streets. He saw another kid not far away and gave him a quick nod before continuing his survey. Ten minutes later Damian watched an unmarked police car drive by. He wanted to groan at how hard they tried to inconspicuous, instead he walked over to the other kid, giving him a high five as a fake greeting and then the two of them started to make their way to warn their employers. They made it about twenty paces before someone grabbed Damian's arm.

With a shout Damian turned, trying to twist out of the grip of the plains cloth cop. His grip was firm and Damian watched the other kid bolt as he was dragged to the cop car as uniformed officers swarmed the location.  _ 'At least someone is free.'  _ He thought bitterly.

\------

Damian was on his third cop when Officer Grayson made his second appearance. It'd been about four hours since he was picked up and none of the officers wanted to go near him after he bit the last two officers hard enough to draw blood. It'd been an hour since he had seen anyone, so he's a bit surprised when Grayson walks in, he isn't surprised to see the social worker following him. 

"Hey Ibn! How have you been?" Grayson asked cheerfully, sitting down across from him. "This is my friend Ms. Rosa, she's going to sit in on our talk."

"Hi sweetie! I hear you've been giving these guys some trouble." Damian decided if she came near him he was going to bite her. 

"They got too close." Damian grinning in a way he knew unsettled adults. "I taught them not to." Ms. Rosa's face fell a bit before perking back up in fake cheer. It didn't matter, Damian had seen her real feelings on this entire matter, she'd be dropping him as soon as she could. 

"Officer Grayson, he is obviously nervous about all of this. I think it would be best to take him to his new home." Turning to Damian, "There's a family that is absolutely delighted at the chance to meet you!" Smile too wide, she made her way to his side of the table. "What's your last name Ibn? I need to find your file to-"

Damian bit her. 

\-----

Biting Ms. Rosa resulted in more yelling than when he bit the officers and Damian was shunted around from room to room, and at one point, a whole different building. During all of it Officer Grayson stated near him. He didn't touch Damian unless he asked, and grabbed the attention of anyone who tried speaking to Damian. It was dark before Damian met his new social worker. 

She introduced herself as Judy Knaves, her thin greyish-brown hair was pulled into a tight bun, when Officer Grayson went to shake her hand her thin lips pulled into a frown. Ignoring the offered hand, she barked at Damian, "Try to bite  _ me _ and you'll regret it boy," before grabbing his wrist and started to pull him out of the room. Considering it for a moment, Damian decided not to just yet, instead try to pull her tight grip off of him. 

Grayson cut off her exit. "Where is he going?" he asked, deftly breaking her hold on Damian, who sprang back to the far wall.

An insulted look on her face, she snapped, "No one wants a problematic run away who bites, the only bed we have for him is at Gotham Juvenile Detention Center." Grayson blanched, sputtering out a refusal. Damian looked at the highest window and then dismissed it as too tall. He edged around the arguing pair, looking for a gap to escape through. He knew he could escape a foster home, but there would be no getting out of juvie.

He saw an opening and took off, going to squeeze between Grayson and the door. He nearly fell when Grayson grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

With an all too cheery smile, Grayson announced, "I'll take him!"


End file.
